PASS - Post Abortion Stress Syndrome - is it real?

No matter your philosophical, religious, or political views on abortion, the fact of the matter is, the actual experience can affect women not only on a personal level but can potentially have psychological repercussions.

It is important to note that this is not a term that has been accepted by the American Psychiatric Association or the American Psychological Association. In fact, pro-choice advocates accuse their counterparts of making up PASS.

Is it real?

The years of depression, guilt, nightmares, emotional and physical trauma of the actual abortion process, thinking about it every day, thinking of the 'baby' every day. The pain suffered after an abortion is horrendous. You can say this is just an excuse or name for guilt, then you would also have to say that 'addiction' is just another excuse for why people can't give up alcohol/drugs.

It is real

The depression, the suicidal thoughts and actions, the flashbacks, the reckless behavior, the nightmares, the insomnia, the pain, the grief, the tears, the guilt, the fear, the intimacy issues, the lies, the remorse, the anxiety, the drug use, the alcohol abuse, the "before" the "after" the trauma .....It is all real.

Yes, abortions can be stressful and traumatic, but so can social pressures regarding the pregnancy. Now, any traumatic event can cause PTSD (so why create a new disorder?) There is some discussion that PASS may have been created for political purposes.

Abortions can cause PTSD in some women, but not in others. In fact, some women feel relieved after terminating their pregnancy. It should be noted that neither the American Psychiatric Association nor the American Psychological Association recognize PASS.

Stick a label on it.

All of the 'symptoms' boil down to just one thing: guilt. The guilt of what they've done catches up with them. However, calling it just guilt comes across as derogative to the woman, so call it a syndrome and it becomes less of a stigma. However, it's 'their body' so their 'issue'.